A Personal History of Moving, the Post-BYU Years

The odd thing about looking at the below list of moves is that it leaves me realizing how many places I *haven’t* lived and makes me feel like I’m probably missing out on a lot of residence-oriented experiences. And that I should maybe try out some more options.

2009 – Moved from Mission Viejo (by the lake) to Mission Viejo (by, uh, Taco Bell)Because it’s like having $1,150 a month cash drop from the ceiling. Plus the old place was gated (don’t get me started), had sub-competent gate guards, too many speed bumps, old people who stared at you from their windows but never came outside, had some weird tiles (well it did), and sound carried way too well across the lake. And the bathroom was carpeted.

2007 – Moved from Foothill Ranch to Mission Viejo (by the lake)
Because the new place only cost 30% more despite being twice as big, having twice as many bedrooms, and having a pretty nice view of the lake. And the old place was pretty scrappy. And gated. With speed bumps and too-narrow parking spaces.

2006 – Moved from New York City to Foothill Ranch (via Michigan) Because I got the job in California and didn’t really ever quite adapt to life in the Big City, in no small part because of the outrageous expense and constantly having to walk through the snow/wind/sleet/rain to get to/from the subway station. ‘Course, I think if I’d carried more accurate expectations into the job, found a roommate out in NYC (or thereabouts) to cut down on the cost of rent, and/or there’d been a few more people in the End Point offices, I might have stuck it out for another year.

2005 – Moved from Lehi to New York CityBecause I got the job in NYC and sitting around that house by myself all day every day was making me crazy. Or crazier faster I guess would be more appropriate to state. And stuffing my 1,700 s.f. Utah lifestyle into a 430 s.f. Downtown Manhattan apartment offered an interesting challenge…

2004 – Moved from Mission Viejo (The Condo) to Lehi (The House)
Because I wanted to buy a house, thought that I knew a lot of people in Utah that I could hang out with, and because working at Epson seemed to have run its course and if I was going to start a business, Utah was an easier/cheaper environment for that.

2000 – Moved from La Mesa (the studio on the lake) to Mission Viejo (The Condo)
Because I started business school at UCI in 2000. Went back to the studio’s neighborhood over Christmas and drove around — it was kind of a cool area, I think.

1999 – Moved from La Mesa (Mellmanor) to La Mesa (the studio on the lake)
Because the studio on the lake was pretty cool and its owner was a friend from work who really wanted me to move in there. And the Mellmanor place was a pretty funky apartment — seemed more like a hotel, but without any elevators or lighting in the hallways. Althought it was the site of the Miracle of the Fish that I should probably chronicle some day. It made for a good church talk.

1998 – Moved from El Cajon (Rick’s House) to La Mesa (Mellmanor)Because after a couple months of living in your brother’s house it’s hard to feel like you’re doing a good job of maintaining your dignity, let alone advancing it. Sadly.

1998 – Moved from Twin Falls to El Cajon (Rick’s House) Because I’m not a farmer and I’d heard the job market in San Diego was promising.

1997 – Moved from Rupert (C&A’s apartment) to Twin FallsBecause I was working in Twin by that point, so it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to still be living in Rupert.

1997 – Moved from Boston (Allston) to Rupert (C&A’s Apartment)Because after arriving in Boston to pursue my masters, I realized that the degree I was going after would probably over-qualify me for any sort of meaningful job, plus the other kids in the program were not quite as brilliant as I was hoping they’d be (“Utah’s one of those Great Lakes states, like by Michigan, right?”).

1997 – Moved from Provo (the house of low ceilings) to Boston (Allston) Because I was starting a masters program in writing and publishing at Emerson and, really, it was high-time to get out of Provo.

So I’m not sure what would be next anyway. I’m thinking maybe I ought to buy a house or some property somewhere, call that home base, then just keep on living cheap wherever I end up finding work. Or else living out of my truck. Man — that just seems so romantic. Oh well. Mal sehen was wird.

Normal chronological order occurred to me after I wrote it and re-read it, but then I realized that doing so would take effort, which I’m pretty sure is the hobgoblin of laziness (so I’m pretty sure that’s not consistency’s target fwiw). Maybe if I get bored tonight and somehow don’t end up playing Fallout 3 till 2:30 in the morning.

Ahh, the miracle of the gold fish–when that hobgoblin goldfish, Ken Griffey, Jr., thought to be male, had babies? Or, when that hobgoblin, KG Jr., and his offspring survived in murky slime water for 40 days, without food or clean drink? Ultimately, all gold fish stories lend themselves to good miracles and, ergo, good church talks. 1999 may have been the year before miracles ceased.

I liked the studio for the fireworks view and for the path around the lake that did not let you finish the circuit (requiring you to back track about two miles, when you car was only a few hundred yards away. La Mesa is truly the land of milk and honey.

Actually Ken Griffey Jr. had the babies, then died. Lucky, who I’m presuming to be the father, showed a perfect brightness of hope by coming up to the surface to feed even though the tank was filled with green ick-killing stuff and even though there were tiny fry available for the eating. But, yeah, that one. Unfortunately, Lucky’s story ended when HB put him in a Dixie cup for three weeks until he suffocated to death. Kind of ruins the church talk, too, maybe.

I rode my bike around that lake twice, but the second time I got caught in a hail storm and barely made it back alive. I never road that bike again. Haven’t seen hail in SoCal again, either. I’m guessing the two are related.

Wow, I didn’t know you moved from that place by Lake Mission Viejo. That was a sweet view. You’re right about the “too many speed bump” thing, though. Also, I didn’t know you used to live in NYC. Now I have a little more respect for you … but just a little 😛

It was a nice place, but I didn’t go out on the deck for the view very often and definitely didn’t enjoy the space enough to justify what I was paying to be there. ‘Course, not sure what I’m gonna do with all the money I’m saving. Need to find something interesting to blow it on.